Moving to South Yorkshire...recommendations needed!

[DilemmaADay]

Posted on another board but reposting here due to traffic

Due to job circumstances, I will be looking to move to South Yorkshire in the near future but dont know where to start!
I'm from Leicestershire originally which I find not a very friendly place (where I was anyway), and now based near Leeds. I love the North compared to the Midlands but I've lived near very grey cities in build up areas and just want to live somewhere with a more village type lifestyle with little independent shops etc.

My job will be based near Sheffield but I've been looking at Chesterfield, Barnsley, Wakefield and the surrounding areas too. Does anyone have any suggestions from their experience of South Yorkshire of where would be nice?

And schools in the western part of Barnsley are generally pretty good. As I recall Silkstone Common has been in the Times top ten primaries more than once...

They'll defend Sheffield to the death compared to other cities, notably Leeds, and within Sheffield will big up their own neighbourhood compared to others beyond all logic and reason

That's probably kinda true but the reason I big Sheffield up is because I live her and love it. And the reason I do likewise for Heeley/Meersbrook is because I have experience of that area.

I don't think that's insular: more just a case of speaking from experience.

I definitely wouldn't refer to anywhere else as a 'shithole' The only time that's acceptable is when you're an away fan at a football match. Doesn't matter where you are, it's a shithole in the footie songs. That's OK: for 90 minutes, we get to be childish and puerile. And then the home fans do the same when they come to visit us

Silkstone Common, Oxspring and Penistone Grammar, as well as the Shelley College Pyramid of first/middle/high schools That serves HD8 are the types of schools people move house for. By the time DS finished first school, there were 9 people in his class who’d all moved into to area to be in the pyramid catchment.

I guess it depends whether you want to live in the shithole of the outskirts of Barnsley or the shithole of the outskirts of Huddersfield. There’s no grassy green hills around here at all . And Last if the Summer Wine wasn’t filmed herr either

The South West of Sheffiild is great, near the Peaks, lovely parks and schools. The City Centre is also easily accessible. From many parts of SW sheffield you can walk to the city centre if you go one way and to the Peak District if you walk the other way. In fact a third of the Peak District National Park lies within Sheffields borders.
Or if you want to be a little further out there is Dronfield.

We live Rotherham way in Woodlaithes. Also lived in Leicester before we came here. Moved here last October and found it much friendlier here.

Welcome to the North op - you’ll never want to go back

That sounded a bit menacing

It did have a hint of Royston Vasey about it Allmyarseandpeggymartin.

@ILikeyourHairyHands

So where are you going to look op? Let us know how you get on

Well I've written down all the areas down that were recommended and going to do some research on them and have a look on rightmove/zoopla

The posters thay have sent links to houses thank you very much!! It's great seeing what can get in the area for certain prices

Come back and tell us your favourites op once you have done it

Avoid Rotherham - I’m from there and it’s fucking grim.

Sprotbrough village near Doncaster. Some fantastic properties in and around the park drive area and the hill down towards the river. Great train links.

I’d second there are some nice places near Doncaster... Bawtry /tickhill are nice and close to M18 a nice little airport if you’re that way inclined.

Ooh and a wildlife park with lions and stuff

Beware of flood zones of looking around Sprotborough, Bawtry and much else of Doncaster.

The only risk of flooding in Sprotbrough is down by the Boat Inn and the three cottages along from there. The cottages have been there over 50 years and still standing. The river is at the bottom in a long hill, I guess you could liken it to a valley. No risk of flooding in the village

Yes, I should have been clearer about that. I oversee flood risk management issues on the Don from Sprotborough to Goole, so because of those cottages Sprotborough means “Sprotborough Gorge cottages” to me, that I sometimes forget that the vast majority of the village is uphill.

As you were.

I think you sound like you would suit the inner west. A bit hippy and bohemian, farmers markets, allotments and you can walk to town and bike to the peak. Lots of green space. Expensive is Nether Edge but surrounding areas like abbey dale, meers brook and sharriw are still lovely but a bit cheaper. I grew up there and loved it

Waves to fellow residents in South Yorkshire, especially those in the Penistone area.

Sorry @DilemmaADay, this is a bit of a long post, but I hope you find it useful.

Every town and city has less salubrious areas, and to write off a whole town as a shit hole is unfair. Did you know that 80% of the area covered by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is rural?

All the villages to the West of Barnsley are lovely. Cawthorne is really nice. The villages with ofsted outstanding primary schools are: Cawthorne C of E, Penistone St John’s, Silkstone Common Junior and Infants (which also has an award-winning orchestra who have played at the Albert Hall. The music teacher won Classic FM primary school music teacher of the year and now has a well deserved MBE for services to education. She is truly inspirational.) and Thurgoland C of E, and Thurlstone. The rest, apart from Silkstone Primary (which I was shocked to read is now requiring improvement) are all ofsted good.

It is much harder for a secondary school to reach outstanding status, and Penistone Grammar has been ofsted good for several years and so has Horizon College. Penistone Grammar has an excellent 6th form with a well above average score that compares very well against Greenhead College.

As @BikeRunSki has said Penistone Grammar School (grammar in name only, but a rather good comprehensive) is oversubscribed, and families that moved to villages 3 or 4 miles away are becoming concerned that they may no longer be in the catchment area as there are plans to build hundreds of new houses in Penistone (which the residents are fighting against)

Penistone itself is a market town. It has a Co-op, Spar and Tesco, an independent cinema, several shops and cafes, and a number of new bars and eating places. And if you like Thai food there is a brilliant Thai restaurant in High Flatts. We also have Yummy Yorkshire with their award-winning ice cream, and now a restaurant, and Cannon Hall Farm, farm shop and restaurant in Cawthorne.

The major downside is the local MP Miriam Cates (Tory ☹) who so far has voted with the government to allow chlorinated chicken (this is a farming community ), and against weekly corona virus testing for NHS staff

Dependent on how many people continue to work from home, the commute from the Penistone area to Sheffield can be a nightmare or straightforward. Penistone Road has a gazillion sets of traffic lights that have an annoying habit of turning to red just as you approach them. There are hourly trains to Sheffield from Penistone and Silkstone Common, but they are run by Northern Fail Rail.

If your partner ends up working in Barnsley or Wakefield the drive from the West of Sheffield is awful. The traffic through the centre of Sheffield is a nightmare, and Sheffield Parkway gets very snarled up.

Here is a link to local schools information:
www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/schools-by-type?step=default&table=schools&region=370&la-name=barnsley&geographic=la&for=16to18

I’ve just moved the Sheffield From the very rural Isle of Man. I am very happy here I am a country girl but I get the best of both worlds being in Sheffield as the Derbyshire countryside is right on my doorstep but also only 20 mins from town.

Somewhere with a very low crime rate given that South Yorkshire Police have a very poor track record.

Sprotborough is lovely! I used to live very near there. How nice to see some Mumsnetters from that small part of S Yorks~